Tales of Hyakkimaru
by albinotanuki
Summary: What happened in the years after Hyakkimaru left Dororo and before his return? This anthology series looks at what happened.
1. Poison Berries

Hyakkimaru couldn't remember what had happened when he had passed out outside of an excruciating pain in his stomach. Surprisingly, not being blind made it harder for him to find food; everything looked so alien to him. There were so many colors and shapes he never knew existed; it was a lot to take in at once that it almost made his head spin. He had come across a bush of berries that he thought looked pretty and assumed that them looking nice meant they were good to eat.

He later found himself laying on a futon inside a little cottage. He looked over seeing an old man grinding what looked like dried leaves with a round stone. The old man turned to Hyakkimaru.

"You're awake." he said, "I was worried you would've died from eating those berries."

"Berries. Not Pretty." complained Hyakkimaru.

"Well nightshade berries may look beautiful, but they contain a deadly poison. You're lucky you didn't eat an entire bush full."

The old man came over with a small herbal cake and put it in Hyakkimaru's mouth. It was bitter tasting. Hyakkimaru spat it out.

"I know it tastes bad, but it'll make you feel better, so swallow."

Hyakkimaru reluctantly swallowed the bitter herb cake.

"By the way, who's Dororo?" asked the old man.

"Dororo?" asked Hyakkimaru.

"You were hallucinating and you kept calling out for someone named Dororo."

Hyakkimaru looked down. Part of him regretted leaving Dororo without saying goodbye, but he didn't want to burden Dororo with the heavy weight he carried on his shoulders.

"I left Dororo." sighed Hyakkimaru.

"I see." said the old man.

He handed Hyakkimaru a bowl of thin soup.

"Here. This'll satisfy your appetite and it won't poison you."

Hyakkimaru took the soup and started eating.


	2. Tale of Minako Part 1

The old man gave Hyakkimaru a book on edible plants. He told him that some pretty things like certain plants, berries, and even flowers were bad to eat.

"Remember: looks can be deceiving, so be careful."

Hyakkimaru went on his way afterwards. He had studied the pictures in the book, figuring out which plants were good to eat. Some tasted good, some tasted bad, but none of them were making him hallucinate or have stomach pain. He WAS starting to get sick of eating wild plants though.

Hyakkimaru walked until he came across a village. He knew villages typically had food, so he hoped he would get a meal. He walked toward the village. He came towards a man standing guard.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"I need a place to rest and eat. Will work for it." said Hyakkimaru.

"Hmm. A job for food and shelter eh?" said the man, "Perhaps our Lady will offer you what you need. She resides in that building not too far from here."

Hyakkimaru nodded and went over to the large structure. He was let inside where a woman wearing regal clothing sat. She was quite beautiful, just like Hyakkimaru's biological mother.

"My, you're quite handsome." said the woman, "A young man like you must have many admirers. I am Lady Komako. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. How would you like to join me for dinner?"

Hyakkimaru WAS pretty hungry. A break from the usual bitter herbs would be nice.

Hyakkimaru and Lady Komako sat down in a private room and talked.

"So you slayed demons for a living? Well, we DO need all the help we can get. Can't tell you how many of them we've had over the years. Luckily, none of them have gone after our harvest this year."

The sliding door opened. A little girl limped into the room with the first course. She had a club foot, a twisted body, and a misshapen face under shaggy hair. Hyakkimaru had not seen anyone look like her before. The girl looked up after serving the meal, seeing Hyakkimaru look right at her and ran out the room.

"Forgive her. She's quite self-conscious about her looks." said Lady Komako.

"A demon?" asked Hyakkimaru.

"Of course not! How could you say such a thing?" said Lady Komako, "No, Minako is human. People around the village think she's a demon though. Her parents abandoned her as a baby and I took her in under my wing. I've done everything I could to shelter her; humans can be cruel."

Hyakkimaru didn't say anything. He just looked down and ate his dish clumsily with his chopsticks.

The night continued. The meal was much better tasting than the plants he had eaten previously. There was white rice, red miso soup, locally caught fish, and seasoned autumn vegetables. Hyakkimaru ate so much that he got tired instantly.

Hyakkimaru slept soundly that night. Or at least he would've slept soundly if he hadn't heard crying in the middle of the night. Hyakkimaru hated the sound of crying; it was the first thing he had heard when he had gotten his hearing back and he detested the sound of it, yet something compelled him to journey outside of his room and into the courtyard. There, he saw Minako, crouched to the ground with tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" asked Hyakkimaru.

The little girl looked up with a surprised look on her face, then pouted.

"It's cause everyone thinks I'm a demon." said Minako, "Even you thought I was a demon. You probably want to slay me like you do with actual demons."

Hyakkimaru started feeling a strange pain in his heart looking at Minako.

"Not pretty." he said.

Minako's eyes filled up with more tears and she wailed even more. Was it something Hyakkimaru said? Perhaps he should better articulate what he meant. He knelt down, placed each hand on Minako's face, and looked her in the eyes.

"Minako sad. Not pretty. Be happy."

Minako looked at Hyakkimaru with confusion. Hyakkimaru sighed in frustration.

"I don't like you being sad. Be happy. That makes you pretty."

Minako smiled a little. Hyakkimaru smiled back.

"That's better." he said.


	3. Tale of Minako Part 2

Hyakkimaru was hired as a guard for the village. While minor demons would come by, there hadn't been any major attacks on the land and frankly, Hyakkimaru was getting bored.

Hyakkimaru decided to go to Lady Komako if there was anything more he could do when he saw Minako tending to a chrysanthemum bush.

"Are you going to eat that?" he asked.

Minako looked at Hyakkimaru with confusion.

"Chrysthanemums. They're edible. They also make a tea." said Hyakkimaru.

"Oh." said Minako, "No. I'm just making them look pretty. Lady Komako likes her garden looking nice."

Minako looked up at Hyakkimaru.

"You know, you're the only one who ever really talks to me. Why?"

"Why not?" asked Hyakkimaru.

"Everyone is afraid of me." sighed Minako.

Hyakkimaru didn't know how to respond. If he was more articulate, he could've told her that she was not alone. That he too was called a demon.

At that moment, one of the villagers came running towards Hyakkimaru.

"You've gotta come help! An oni has been spotted in the rice fields!"

Hyakkimaru's interest went up. He knew oni were big and quite fierce creatures. Finally, a challenge.

Hyakkimaru grabbed his katana and went out to the fields. He suddenly stopped. His eyes grew wide as he looked out in the bloodstained fields. There, he saw the oni. It was a large beast with fiery red skin, golden eyes, long fangs, and huge hands holding a gigantic, blood covered kanabo club. Hyakkimaru shook. He had dealt with many large, ferocious demons before, but this was the first time he had actually seen one with his own eyes. He shook. Then ran the opposite direction.

"HEY! GET BACK YOU COWARD!" shouted one of the guards.

Hyakkimaru ran back to the Lady Komako's home and shut the door. He then sat on the ground panting. Minako saw him and went over.

"Hyakkimaru, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Oni not pretty." said Hyakkimaru.

"I know they're scary, but you have to fight." said Minako, "Being brave means you do the right thing even when you're scared."

At that moment, there was a banging at the door. Hyakkimaru got up, holding Minako in his arms. The doors burst open and the oni came crashing in. The oni grabbed Minako by the leg and hung her in the air as if to eat her.

Hyakkimaru gasped in horror. He unsheathed his sword and lunched himself into the oni. He stabbed and sliced the oni until the massive creature fell to the floor and let Minako go.

Hyakkimaru looked down at the beast, drenched in blood. He didn't know whether it was the oni, it trying to eat Minako, or the blood and gore that sent shivers down his spine. Either way, he collapsed on the ground and started crying. Minako went over to Hyakkimaru and wrapped her arms around him.


	4. The Jesuit Priest

Hyakkimaru came to realize as someone who was scared of demons, he couldn't fight them. He decided to leave the village, but not before Minako gave him some Chrysanthemums as a gesture of her appreciation. Hyakkimaru held onto the flower until they started to wither.

He was now on the road, soar and hungry once more. As he walked, he could smell something cooking. He looked through the trees, seeing a strange man in a brown robe near a campfire. He had red hair, much like the flames of the fire where he had a pot full of oil in which he dipped fish covered in some strange substance that began to brown as it hit the hot liquid.

The man then turned around, seeing Hyakkimaru staring at him.

"You look weary, my son. Come. Sit by the fire and have some fried fish with me."

Hyakkimaru, who's stomach was barren, went over to the campfire, sat down, took a piece of fried fish, and bit into it. It had a strange crunchiness on the outside, yet was soft and flavorful on the inside. Hyakkimaru took some more fish and ate.

"I see you haven't eaten in days." said the strange man, "Tell me. What's a young man like you doing out in the wilderness by yourself?"

Hyakkimaru stopped eating his fish and put it down.

"I hurt others." he sighed.

"I see. You have sinned." said the man, "Well I cannot judge you; only God can do that."

"God?" asked Hyakkimaru.

"God watches after everyone and it is my duty, as well as those who follow him, to serve others." said the man, "You do seem remorseful for your sin, but remorse alone won't save you. You must help others and treat them as you wish to be treated."

"How can I help?" asked Hyakkimaru.

"There are many ways." said the man, "You can give to the poor for instance. God's son, Jesus, once said that it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven."

"What's a camel?" asked Hyakkimaru.

"It's a steed with a hump on it's back." said the man.

"Did it hurt itself?" asked Hyakkimaru.

The man laughed. Hyakkimaru didn't quite get the joke, so he continued to eat.


End file.
